Thirty COMBO volunteers head out in the August heat with plenty of water and lots of enthusiasm.
Cutting bench on an 80% sideslope resulted in backslopes up to six feet tall.
Keeping the average trail grade under 10% is necessary to prevent trail erosion, especially when working on steep sideslopes.
Volunteers digging in. Full bench construction will result in a super-durable route.
The finished product, a full bench tread with gentle 5% outslope.
Phase one of the AEP network is already a popular ride. With phase two complete, the area is sure to become a popular destination for Ohio riders. Where is the AEP trail system? http://joincombo.org/combo/aep/directions.html

Ohio Mountain Bikers Build New Trail

The Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew and volunteers from the Central Ohio Mountain Bicycling Organization (COMBO) slaved through a brutally hot August weekend to put the finishing touches on an almost 9-mile singletrack loop on private American Electric Power (AEP) lands near McClellansville, OH. AEP manages 33,000 acres of reclaimed coal strip mine - last stripped about 50 years ago - for "ReCreation". COMBO and the Broke Spoke, a local bike shop, have partnered with Dave Dingey, AEP Director of ReCreation, to develop a 4 square mile portion of the company's lands specifically for mountain bicycling. The Trail Care Crew's expertise was needed to design a ridable connector trail across steep terrain to complete the second phase of the trail development project. Thirty volunteers cut 350 feet of full bench trail on an 80% sideslope to complete the 9-mile loop in time for a Labor Day race. Special thanks to Ohio IMBA rep Matt Ogle and everyone who made our visit a big success. Details: http://www.joinomba.org/combo/index.html

Scott Linnenburger & Aaryn Kay